Bottle-closure attachment



'S. T. WHITAKER.

BOTTLE CLOSURE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATIQNIILED DEC.18.1915. Y

Patented July 13, 1920.

' (awvewlfoz Jmmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l SAMUEL '1. WHITAKER, OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, ASSIGINOR 0 FIFTY- ENE PER GENT.

TO RALPH B. SMALL, OF COLUMBUS, GEOLGIA.

BOTTLE-CLOSURE ATTACHMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. innitus,

citizen oi. the United States, residing at lolumbus, in the county of Muscogce and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Closure Attachments; and I do herebydeclare the i'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will onable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in attachments for bottles, and is directed more particularly to facilitating manipulation of bottle closures oi the type commonly known as crimped caps. a

The primary object in view is the elimination oi the necessity for the individual user to provide himself with a cap removing tool whenever he desires to remove a bottle cap, to which end the invention comprehends the supply of an effective tool with each bottle to be used.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fragment of a bottle, with its attachment embodying the features of the present invention, the retainingband of the attachment being also seen in perspective, detached.

Fig. 2 is asirnilar view of the same, with a slightly modified embodiment of the retaining band.

Figs; 3, 4t and 5 are perspective views of modified. forms of retaining bands, detached. F 1g 6 1s a fragmentary perspective View oi the principal portion of the bottle provided with a modified embodiment of the invention. v

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 1 indicates an ordinary bottle having a neck 2 having its mouth closed by a crimped cap 3. Encircling the neck-2 is a retaining band 4, which may assume various forms as hereinafter pointed out, and as seen in Fig. 1 consists of a tapered strip, having at its larger end an opening forming an eye 5. The smaller end of the band 4, when the band is applied on the neck of the bottle, is inserted through the eye 5 and bent to form a hook 6 which retains the band in place. The band slit lengthwise at 7 and 8 to form three parts, those extending along the; edges of the band being offset in one direction while the intermediate one is caused to outstand to form an eye 9 through which a cap rem0v- Specification of Letters Eatenti Application filed December 18, 1915. Serial No. 62.857.

Ratented July 13, le rn,

ing instrument is introduced. The instrument itself may assume any appropriate rorm, but preferably consists of a body termed ot a fiat rip of metal 10 having its end portions l: t at ll and 12, so as to contorm to the enlargement at one end of the neclrand a curvature at the other, whereby the instrument designed to fit snugly along the neck. in outstanding hook 133 is stampedor otherwise formed from the materlal oi' the body 10 so as to be adapted to engage under the flange 1% when the tool is being manipulated, at which time one end of the tool rests on the cap and the other end portion is grasped by the hand of the oper ator. {that end of the tool which engages the cap in operation is the upper end of the tool as seen in Fig. l. The operation oi the tool will, of course, be obvious and consists merely oi applying the end of the tool against the upper surface of the cap, with the hook 18 engaging under the flange and then prying upward. This operation, oi? course, is carried out after withdrawal oithe tool from the supporting retainer. By the employment of the present invention, botties supplied with crimped caps will be rendered just as accessible as the old style bottles with the cork stoppers, and the necessity forthe user to carry with him a stopper remover is entirely obviated. At the same time, the tool as carried by the bottles offers no appreciable increase in weight or bulk since it is itself of the lightest serviceable material and is so shaped as to cocupy space along the neck notadapted for any other use. The book or prong l3 is also made use of in affording ei' fectiveretention of the tool since the hook is caused to rest nponan upper edge portion of the retain- 1ng band so as to prevent downward move-' ment of the tool, and since the hook is stamped from the material of the tool,the portions of the tool below the engaged portion of the band increase in size so as to prevent upward dislodgment of the tool byac'cldent. By preference, the tool is removed either by straightening thehook 6 and detaching the band and then withdrawing the tool therefrom or else by breaking the band 7 4O Fig. 1 with the exception of the band, and

the tool snugly fits the curvature of the en- 7 consists of a coil or partly coiled spring formed preferably of spring wi're. .Inwithdrawing the tool from the band 4", it is merely pulled longitudinally therefrom,the band being preferably formed with an oilset. portion 9 for accommodating the tool before its withdrawal. During the act of withdrawing the tool-, the band merely is sprung sufliciently to allow release of the tool, and then springs back to its position closely encircling the neck of the bottle. After the tool has been used,' it"may be thrown away, and the bottle returned with the band l .in place. Then when the bottle is refilled, a new tool is introduced into engagement with the offset portion 9;

The band for retaining the tool may as sume a great variety of embodiments without in the least departing from the inven- I tion, a few exemplifications being indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

In F the band at is provided with tabsO, 9 adapted to be'bent about a tool for retaining the same. Thisband hasone of its endstapered to facilitateintroduction through the eye at the other end for facilitating forming a lockingrhook similar to that seen at Gin Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4k is seen a similar band l having similar tabs 9 but having it terminals exactly like those of band 4:. I V

In Fig. 5 theband 4:? isseen having the de-' pending portion 7 provided with .tool engaging tabs 9, 9. 7 y y In Fig; 6 1s seena structure identical w1th the same reference numerals and description will apply with this exception. 1 In this structure the band consists of a preferably thin, line wire wrapped about the neck of the bottle and about the tool 10 for tying the latter to the tormer,;the end of the wire being twisted or {otherwise fastened; More than one loop of the wire may be used as preferred, and the tool is firmly held in place by being engaged, as in all the other structures, at its smallest portion, with the cap-flange-engaging hook resting upon the wire. 7 1

It should be observedthat-the bend 11 in largementot the neck 2 and cooperates with the hook 13 in that thebend prevents the tool from moving upward because of its engagementwiththe enlargement of the neck,

while the hook 1'3 prevents the tool from tool havinga fiat body portion with a laterally :turned projection at one end, and a crimped cap flange-engaging hook portion prO ectmg from the body in the same d1rection as said end and-in spaced relation theres to, sa d body portion belng reduced in width itClJflCGIli) 'SELICl llOOk POTtlOH, of means for securing the cap removing tool to a-bottle having a bead atthe terminus of its neck, said means comprising a band adapted to surround said bottle neckand engaging the reduced portion of the tool atthat sideiof the hook farthest removed from the bent end thereof, whereby that portion of the cap removing .tool including the hook lying be-.

tween the beadbf the bottle neck and the band is held against:movement in one direction byxsaid bead-an din the othendirection by said band.

2. 'llhecombination with a crimped cap removing tool having a substantially straight body portion andian outwardly bent end portion and also :havingEan intermediate cap engaginghook extending out wardly and a reduced portion adjacent the hook,' the-said tool being proportioned tolie within the space surrounding the reduced portion of the neck of a bottle beneath the bead of the neck with the outwardly extending portion of its upper endv engaging such bead and saidtool-being of less length than the neck of the bottle engaged,=0f .a band adapted to encircle the. neckofa bottle and to engage the reduced portion of the tool beneath-and in conta'ctwith the hook for retainingthe :hook against longitudinal play away from contact with the bottleneck bead.

Initestimony whereof I afiix my signature in presenceoftwo witnesses.

. SAMUEL T. W'HITAKER; -lVitnesses: l

R. M. PARKER M. K.-DELANEY.

l l l 

